Expansion Policy Research Articles

“Новая” милитаризация Европы?

From the first steps of implementing the policy of NATO expansion to the East – since the first half of the 1990s, official representatives of the alliance have constantly emphasized that these actions would not pose a threat to Russia. Moscow held the exact opposite opinion, but its concerns and objections were not taken into consideration. As military and political relations worsened and disagreements between Russia and the West/NATO grew, the military potential of the alliance was increasingly strengthened, coming close to the Russian borders. Traditionally neutral states – Finland and Sweden – also joined NATO. The beginning of the Special Military Operation (SMO) was used by Brussels as a long-term pretext for the beginning of the active militarization of Europe, the implementation of plans for even a larger-scale strengthening of the military and political structure of the Alliance. The leadership of the USA and NATO, having taken a course for escalation, however, show a certain “restraint”, trying to avoid a direct conflict with Russia. Brussels has repeatedly argued that NATO is not a party to the conflict in Ukraine and has set itself the task of preventing a direct clash Moscow has also repeatedly stated that it is not going to attack NATO countries. The United States and other Western states all the while do not allow Kyiv to use their weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory. Russia, on the other hand, is not completely destroying relations with the Alliance, as evidenced by the fact that Moscow is not going to withdraw from the 1997 Russia–NATO Founding Act. The article examines the current stage of relations between Russia and NATO, revealing its main features. The authors also provide a comprehensive examination of the content and nature of the new wave of militarization in Europe, using key European countries as examples.

Ewolucja stosunków rosyjsko(radziecko)-japońskich w latach 1699–1941

Russian(Soviet)-Japanese contacts have a tradition of over 300 years. The author focuses in the article on a brief exemplification and analysis of unofficial Russian-Japanese contacts since the 18th century and their official relations until the signing of the Treaty of Neutrality between the Soviet Union and Japan in April 1941. In total, four parts of the article are devoted to the analysis, apart from the introduction and conclusion. The first part of the article covers the period of unofficial relations between the two countries, which was characterized by two contradictory tendencies. Russia is pursuing territorial expansion towards the Pacific Ocean, while Japan maintains a policy of voluntary closure to the outside world. The second part deals with the official relationship between them from the Treaty of Shimoda to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. During this period, both countries are guided by a policy of territorial expansion, which led to a war between them. The third part is related to the period from the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty in 1905 to the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917. This was the only period of mutual friendship between Russia and Japan. The last part was the years from the February and October Revolutions in Russia to the conclusion of the neutrality pact in April 1941. At that time, one of the external interventions against Soviet Russia was Japan. However, after the Japanese troops were driven out of Soviet territory in the Far East, the two countries establish official diplomatic relations. In the 1930s, mutual relations deteriorated, and in the complicated international situation that existed at the time, Moscow and Tokyo signed the Neutrality Pact in April 1941. At the end of the article, several conclusions were formulated.

Generalized Resistance Deficits in inmates with hypertension: missing resources that limit health.

to understand the Generalized Resistance Deficits of people deprived of liberty with hypertension in a Brazilian prison unit. qualitative research, anchored in Salutogenesis, carried out with 38 people with hypertension from a Brazilian prison unit, from February to July 2022, with a semi-structured interview with open-ended questions, whose analysis was thematic, explaining the limitations to health in prison. 13 Generalized Resistance Deficits were reported, mostly related to the prison environment and, to a lesser extent, to the social group and the individual, respectively. Living in prison for people with hypertension implies living with a high number of Generalized Resistance Deficits, accentuating the movement towards the disease pole. knowing Generalized Resistance Deficits allows directing health promotion to support the use of available Generalized Resistance Resources and contributes to the expansion of intersectoral policies.

Caracterização dos estudantes de graduação em enfermagem durante a COVID-19: análise das dimensões étnico-raciais e socioeconômicas

ABSTRACT Objective to characterize nursing undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic based on intersectionality. Method this is a cross-sectional study with a descriptive approach that characterized the population during the pandemic, covering the years 2020 and 2021. A questionnaire was developed with questions on socioeconomic, labor, cultural, and health aspects. Results the analysis of the implementation of a nursing bachelor’s program at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - Macaé Institute of Nursing reveals a student profile that is predominantly young, female, Black, working class, and cisgender, reflecting a specific social reality of northern Rio de Janeiro. The expansion of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and the implementation of affirmative actions, such as reserving spots for black students, have promoted greater diversity in nursing education. However, structural and institutional racism still persists, reflected in inequalities between white and black professionals in the field. Conclusion and implications for practice promoting equity and developing intersectoral actions for the maintenance and expansion of educational and social policies is fundamental to correcting social asymmetries in academic training.

Corona disease, university and educational policy in post-corona conditions (Case Study: Students of Guilan University)

In the last few years,, educational planning in universities, especially in the exceptional circumstances of Corona, has faced the authorities, families, and students with many contradictions, and students as academics acting have shown different reactions to it. The basic questions of the article are what educational strategies are appropriate in alternative and post-corona conditions? And what problems do students face in virtual education? The purpose of this article is the qualitative study of the university in the situation of Corona and the symbolic expansion of the educational policy of the university in the post-corona era. In this study, a qualitative approach, thematic analysis method, semi-structured interviews, and purposeful sampling were used. According to the logic of theoretical saturation, 35 students of Guilan University were interviewed individually. The findings of the research show that regarding the educational planning of the university in post-corona conditions, three types of strategies can be observed in the studied students, including face-to-face, virtual, and combined, and most of them are placed in face-to-face and combined types of education. The supporters of the strategy of “face-to-face training” or “metaphysics of presence” in the university in terms of individual characteristics are mostly native, single, studying, and unemployed students. Opponents of the strategy of “face-to-face training” or “Proponents of virtual education” in the university are mostly married students, mothers, working people, non-native students, students who are less interested in studying, and weak and physically disabled students. Supporters of combined education strategy (face-to-face and virtual) on the one hand, often want face-to-face training in practical, laboratory, and specialized courses, and on the other hand, they want virtual training in general courses. From the findings of the research, it can be concluded that integrated education has many facilities and capacities in the field of teaching-learning and taking into account the hardware and software facilities, the type of university, the differences and individual characteristics of students and local requirements, regional and cultural is suitable for educational policy- makers in the alternative, similar, post-modern and post-corona era

China’s aggressive tactics: A comparative analysis of the South China Sea Conflict and the Sino-India Border Dispute in Eastern Ladakh

Conflicts, confrontations, and disputes have long been a part of international relations which often includes skirmishes and their consequences being the reality of states unable to find peaceful resolutions to their disputes to which the entire world pays attention. The complex nature of international relations lies more in the differences and contradictions in foreign policy. These materialize as security dilemmas, which arise due to high stakes, mutual distrust, and policy overreactions. Such a security dilemma persists between China and its neighboring states and the rest of the world due to its aggressive, coercive, and adversarial tactics and ambitions. This paper assesses the situation in the South China Sea and Eastern Ladakh following the Chinese occupation of several areas across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020 and China’s muscle stretching in South China’s Sea. The expansionist policy of China led to an incident in Galwan River Valley and the South China Sea, resulting in the deaths of both sides. This study outlines the course of events and do a comparative analysis of conflict occurred in Eastern Ladakh and South China Sea and its impact, where negotiations were partially successful and seemed deadlocked in achieving the status quo. This paper seeks to examine the larger border game, challenges for future political diplomacy, and recommendations for the future course of action.

A Financial Economic Study of Credit Expansion Policies: Help-to-Buy or Help to Build?

A Financial Economic Study of Credit Expansion Policies: Help-to-Buy or Help to Build?

The positive effects of the higher education expansion policy on urban innovation in China

<abstract> <p>Higher education not only enhances people's well-being, but also plays an important role in the in-depth implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy. In this paper, we use Chinese urban data for 1995–2020, utilizing the higher education expansion policy implemented in China in 1999 as an external shock. Using Double/Debiased Machine Learning (DML), we examine the impact of the aforementioned policy on urban innovation and its mechanisms. The results show that: (1) The higher education expansion policy significantly promotes urban innovation; (2) the policy promotes human capital expansion and strengthens government financial support, thereby significantly fostering urban innovation; (3) the impact of the policy varies across cities with different geographic locations, population densities and levels of marketization. Therefore, the findings of this paper provide empirical evidence that higher education expansion policy stimulates urban innovation. It also offers useful insights for China's transition from "Made in China" to "Created in China" during its high-quality development phase.</p> </abstract>

Protocol: A mixed-methods study to evaluate implementation and outcomes of U.S. state telemental health policy expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Until the COVID-19 pandemic, it had not been possible to examine the effect of rapid policy changes surrounding telemental health on patient-reported mental health care access, costs, symptoms, and functioning. Sizable variation in telemental health use by patient race-ethnicity, age, and rurality, and in its adoption across healthcare settings, underscores the need to study equitable dissemination and implementation of high-quality telemental health services in the real world. This protocol describes an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study that aims to examine the effects of state telemental health policy expansion on patient-reported mental health outcomes, as well as the policy-to-practice pathway from the perspectives of state leaders, clinicians, and staff who care for underserved patients. This study uses legal mapping research methods to characterize the effective dates and specific provisions of telemental health policies (e.g., Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, professional licensure requirements) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Then, we will examine state factors (e.g., COVID-19 cases, broadband internet access) explaining these telemental health policies using discrete-time hazard models. The primary quantitative analysis employs a difference-in-difference approach to predict effects on outcome measures using a nationally representative survey of individuals. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we will examine policy effects on (a) access to, use of, and expenditures related to mental health care and (b) mental health outcomes, functioning, and employment. Finally, qualitative methods will be used to obtain feedback from state leaders, administrators, clinicians, and clinic staff members on how state telemental health policy expansion influenced mental health services delivery during the pandemic, with a focus on improving safety-net care. We will use a positive deviance approach to select key partners from 6 "high" and 6 "low" telehealth expansion states for interviews and focus groups. The overall study goal is to better understand the effect of pandemic-related state policy changes around telehealth on patient-reported mental health care access, costs, symptoms, and functioning. By characterizing variations in telehealth policies and their downstream effects, this mixed-methods study aims to inform equitable dissemination, implementation, and sustainment of high-quality telemental health services.

A Study on Critical Exploration of Nietzsche’s View of Liberal Arts Education

At the invitation of the Basel Education Committee, the young Nietzsche, who was a professor at the University of Basel, offered five lectures on education. The collection of these lectures is called “On the Future of Our Educational Institutions.” In this lecture, Nietzsche critiqued German schools at the time, particularly their liberal arts education, and proposed alternatives. The goal of this research is to uncover the significance of Nietzsche's view on liberal arts education as presented in his speech, as well as to investigate its applicability and limitations to liberal arts education in Korea today. Chapter II provides an overview of 19th-century Germany relevant to the lectures, Chapter III analyzes the main contents of Nietzsche's view on liberal arts education as demonstrated in the lecture, and Chapter IV investigates the potential of Nietzsche's views in the context of today's universities. Nietzsche identified the problems of mass education caused by education expansion policies, as well as the fragmentation and practicalization of knowledge caused by education diminution policies, and proposed an educational view based on the ‘metaphysics of genius’ as an alternative. Nietzsche saw the purpose and goal of liberal arts education as acquiring a sense of ancient Greece and the ability to think like a Greek in order to create a new German culture. While Nietzsche’s view on the elite education and the ancient Greek culture implicit in his discourses of liberal arts education is difficult to accept for twenty-first-century universities, Nietzsche's point regarding fragmentation and practicalization of knowledge that arise from viewing universities as academic institutions rather than liberal arts institutions allows us to critically reflect on the nature of liberal arts education in today's universities.

Common Education Expansion Policy and Changes in the Composition of Teachers in Jeonju during the End of Japanese Imperialism

Common Education Expansion Policy and Changes in the Composition of Teachers in Jeonju during the End of Japanese Imperialism

FACTORS OF RUSSIAN IRREDENTISM IN UKRAINE: HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

This article examines the Russian policy of irredentism, namely its manifestations in relation to Ukrainian territories. Threats from the Russian Federation to Ukraine's national and territorial security prompt the study of the genesis of Russian expansionist policies. The notion of irredentism is extremely complex and multifaceted, and has different interpretations. In particular, it is seen as the desire of an ethnic minority to secede from a multi-ethnic state in order to unite with a neighboring kin state. In the modern concept, irredentism is seen as a state policy aimed at annexing territories inhabited by ethnically related populations. Russian irredentism, defined as Russia's aggressive policy towards the territories of former post-Soviet countries, has much deeper roots, as the idea of the hegemony of the Moscow tsars over the entire Slavic Orthodox world dates back to the sixteenth century. and was actively pursued by the Russian imperial authorities, which from the mid-seventeenth century seized a significant part of Left-Bank Ukraine, and by the end of the seventeenth century, as a result of three divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian-Turkish wars, almost all Ukrainian lands. An in-depth historical analysis of the origins and manifestations of Russian aggressive policy has shown that irredentism plays a key role in Russian aggression and has a number of factors: historical, geopolitical, economic, and ideological. Keywords: irredentism, irredentist policy, "Novorossiya", "fifth column", ethnopolitics, kin-state.

Prolonged Military Occupation: Rethinking the Israeli Occupation on the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Abstract This research focuses on an increasingly important question associated with the state of military occupation as part of International Humanitarian Law, namely, to what extent the rights and duties of an occupying power are to be broadened or otherwise minimized when an occupation of a foreign territory lasts for a long period of time? This question is necessitated by the practices of some occupying powers that claim their ‘original’ authority over occupied areas should exceed the original rights embodied in the legal corpus on military occupation due to the prolonged nature of their military presence. This research focuses on the state of the Israeli military occupation over the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs.) and found that the Israeli practices are calculated in this direction, i.e., the expansionist policy, which ultimately conflict with the corpus of rules of international law on military occupation.

EFFECTS OF ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER POLICIES ON COVID-19 AND NON-COVID-19 DEATHS IN NURSING HOMES

Abstract Balancing the safety of nursing home residents with their need for social interaction has emerged as a key challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Strict bans on nursing home visitation eventually led to growing concern that physical isolation may have unintended harms on nursing home residents. To address this concern, at staggered times between June 2020 and January 2021, 17 states implemented Essential Caregiver policies allowing nursing home visitation by designated family members or friends under controlled circumstances. Using the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File and other relevant data, we analyze the effects of Essential Caregiver policies on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 deaths for nursing home residents. To estimate plausibly causal effects, we employ recent innovations in difference-in-differences and event-study estimation. We find that on average, Essential Caregiver policies prevent 0.44 non-COVID-19 deaths, 0.42 COVID-19 deaths, and 0.86 total deaths per 1,000 residents in a two-week period, representing 8 percent, 17 percent, and 11 percent of the sample mean for the three outcomes, respectively. The effects are mainly driven by state policies that are mandatory or implemented without restrictions and are larger for high-quality facilities and highly staffed facilities. Our results suggest that nursing home residents derive substantial benefit from regular social interaction with family members and friends and from the additional care they provide. Our findings support the use and expansion of Essential Caregiver policies to balance resident safety and the need for social interaction for future infectious disease outbreaks.

The Perception of the French Policy of «Reunions» in the Second Half
 of the 17th Century by the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire

This article discusses the political position and perception of the Estates of the Holy Roman Empire regarding the French policy of «Reunions» of 1667–1697. The position of Brandenburg, Bavaria, Saxony, Braunschweig-Luneburg, Hesse-Kassel, Munster, Cologne, Trier, Mainz, Palatinate, Baden-Baden, BadenDurlach and Württemberg has been analyzed to varying degrees by the author.
 Some attention is paid to attempts to create an alliance among some of the Imperial Estates to resist the expansionist policy of the French king Louis XIV. However, the effectiveness of such alliances was insignificant as an attempt to create
 a combat-ready army. 
 As a result of the study, the author can state that the policy of «Reunions» was generally perceived negatively by the Imperial Estates. A number of officials of the Empire – Brandenburg, Brunswick-Luneburg, Bavaria, Hesse-Kassel and some others had significant financial resources and sufficiently combat-ready
 military contingents. This gave them the opportunity not only to fear a French invasion of the Empire, but also to effectively resist it.
 Some of them could only temporarily use France to weaken the influence of the emperor. There was an understanding among the German princes that France was a strong absolutist state and being in its zone of influence meant the loss of territorial independence.

A re-examination of the influence of human capital on urban-rural income gap in China: College enrollment expansion, digital economy and spatial spillover

In the context of the era of common prosperity, this paper seeks to explore the influence of human capital on the urban-rural income gap in China. To accomplish this, this paper utilizes panel data encompassing 31 provincial-level administrative regions spanning the years 2000 to 2019. Employing a combination of econometric techniques, including 2SLS, Difference-in-difference models, moderating effects models, and the spatial Durbin model, this paper investigates various facets of human capital and its impact on the urban-rural income gap. The key findings of this paper are as follows: (1) The relationship between human capital and the urban-rural income gap exhibits a U-shaped pattern. (2) The college enrollment expansion policy leads to the widening of the urban-rural income gap in China driven by factors related to the scale, quality, and inequality within higher education. (3) The digital economy plays a positive moderating role in the U-shaped relationship between human capital and the urban-rural income gap. (4) Human capital's impact on the urban-rural income gap demonstrates a significant spatial correlation, displaying a U-shaped spatial spillover effect. Drawing from the aforementioned findings, this paper offers valuable policy implications to guide policymakers in their efforts to foster the attainment of common prosperity.

A dynamic perspective on profiling financial-aid eligibility: the case of South Africa

Abstract The sustainable funding of tertiary education is a subject of significant policy debate worldwide. In South Africa, the need to balance equitable access within a constrained fiscal environment has been a complex challenge. A legacy of racially segregated educational opportunities, together with student activism and protests, has shaped the political economy surrounding tertiary education funding. Policymakers continue to be faced with the challenge of funding students whose household income is too high to meet state financial aid eligibility, yet who struggle to afford tuition and accommodation expenses. In this context, exploring a policy instrument that differentiates students based on multidimensional socioeconomic need is critical. We motivate for a differentiated policy instrument that considers economic uncertainty of households as a dimension of socioeconomic need. A purpose of our paper is therefore to illustrate that income mobility can contribute to household vulnerability, and therefore to funding need. Household income mobility is estimated using a multivariate probit model that explicitly accounts for endogeneity of initial conditions, unobserved heterogeneity, and non-random panel attrition. We operationalise this model as a relevant empirical tool for analysing and understanding the implementation, expansion, and targeting of social policy more generally.

Resources policies for solar development and eco-tourism expansion in emerging economies

This research employs a thorough panel data analysis encompassing 10 emerging economies to assess the influence of solar energy consumption on tourism development spanning from 2000 to 2022. Using the CUP-FM (continuously updated full modified) technique, the results unveil a noteworthy and positive correlation. A 1% increase in solar energy consumption is associated with an approximate 0.35% upswing in tourist arrivals, underscoring the pivotal role of solar energy investment in expanding the tourism sector. Factors such as economic stability, price competitiveness, and a balanced approach to technological advancements play key roles in fostering a thriving tourism industry. The implementation of pragmatic policies, including increased funding for solar projects, the establishment of a green bonds market, digitalization of the green financial sector, and exploration of cryptocurrency for solar initiatives, can significantly bolster the tourism sector and advance sustainable energy initiatives.

On the economic impacts of mortgage credit expansion policies: Evidence from help to buy

We take advantage of two spatial discontinuities in Britain's Help to Buy (HtB) scheme to explore the effectiveness and distributional implications of mortgage credit expansion policies. Employing a Difference-in-Discontinuities design, we find that HtB significantly increased house prices and had no detectable effect on construction volumes in severely supply constrained and unaffordable Greater London. Conversely, HtB did increase construction numbers without a noticeable effect on prices near the English/Welsh border, an affordable area with comparably lax supply conditions. While HtB did not help would-be-buyers in already unaffordable areas, it boosted the financial performance of developers participating in the scheme.

Cash Rules Everything Around Me: The Expansion of NCAA Name, Image, and Likeness Policy Among the States

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies have expanded rapidly in the United States in the past three years. Since the state of California passed a law allowing college student athletes to profit off their NIL, 41 states have either adopted or proposed similar legislation. Politics, the presence of high-level football programs, revenue, and geography have shaped this rapid expansion that has significant effects on higher education administration. Using survival analysis, this article explains the expansion of NIL policy and finds the key factors leading to its rapid diffusion. We find that the significant drivers of NIL adoption include high level NCAA football and the political motives of the state adopting that contributes to civic pride. The major findings suggest that this focus on football and its connection to civic pride and resulting political decisions creates opportunities and challenges for higher education.